Converged radio frequency front-end architecture

Abstract

A switching circuit can include a first cellular filter, a second cellular filter, a first Wi-Fi filter, a second Wi-Fi filter and a plurality of switches. The first cellular filter can filter a first cellular frequency band. The second cellular filter can filter a second cellular frequency band. The first Wi-Fi filter can filter a first Wi-Fi frequency band. The first Wi-Fi frequency band is positioned between the first and the second cellular frequency bands. The second Wi-Fi filter can filter a second Wi-Fi frequency band. The second Wi-Fi frequency band is positioned between the second cellular frequency band and the first Wi-Fi frequency band. A plurality of switches can route signal from an antenna through the first cellular filter and the second Wi-Fi filter or route the signal from the antenna through the second cellular filter and the first Wi-Fi filter.

What is claimed is: 
     
       1. A switching circuit for switching radio frequency signals, comprising:
 a first filter configured to filter first radio frequency signals in a first frequency band that is a first cellular band adjacent to a second frequency band, the second frequency band including a first Wi-Fi region adjacent to the first frequency band and a second Wi-Fi region, the second Wi-Fi region spaced from the first frequency band by at least a portion of the second Wi-Fi region, a second filter configured to filter second radio frequency signals in the second Wi-Fi region, a third filter configured to filter third radio frequency signals in a third frequency band that is a second cellular band adjacent to the second Wi-Fi region and spaced from the first Wi-Fi region by at least a portion of the second Wi-Fi region, and a fourth filter configured to filter fourth radio frequency signals in the first Wi-Fi region, and 
 a plurality of switches configured to concurrently route received radio frequency signals from a common cellular/wireless local area network antenna in either of 1) a first mode through the first and second filters to concurrently pass signal content in the first cellular band and the second Wi-Fi region while blocking signal content in the second cellular band and the first Wi-Fi region or 2) a second mode through the third and fourth filters to concurrently pass signal content in the second cellular band and the first Wi-Fi region while blocking signal content in the first cellular band and the second Wi-Fi region. 
 
     
     
       2. The switching circuit of  claim 1  wherein the received radio frequency signals are one or more of time division duplex signals and frequency division duplex signals. 
     
     
       3. The switching circuit of  claim 1  wherein the first region and the second region partially overlap. 
     
     
       4. The switching circuit of  claim 3  wherein a frequency range of the partial overlap is approximately 20 MHz. 
     
     
       5. The switching circuit of  claim 3  wherein a frequency range of the partial overlap is approximately 40 MHz. 
     
     
       6. The switching circuit of  claim 1  wherein the first filter, the second filter, the third filter, and the fourth filter include at least one surface acoustic wave filter or at least one a bulk acoustic wave filter. 
     
     
       7. The switching circuit of  claim 1  further comprising a control circuit configured to control the plurality of switches to route the received radio frequency signals from the antenna through either the first and second filters or to route the received radio frequency signals from the antenna through the third and fourth filters. 
     
     
       8. A method of operating a switching circuit, the method comprising:
 concurrently routing signals in a first mode from a common cellular/wireless local area network antenna to receiver circuitry through i) a first filter, the first filter being configured to filter a first frequency band that is a first cellular band adjacent to a second frequency band that includes a first Wi-Fi region adjacent to the first frequency band and a second Wi-Fi region, the second Wi-Fi region spaced from the first frequency band by at least a portion of the first Wi-Fi region and ii) through a second filter, the second filter being configured to filter the second Wi-Fi region, 
 concurrently routing the signals in a second mode from the antenna to the receiver circuitry through i) a third filter configured to filter a third frequency band that is a second cellular band adjacent to the second Wi-Fi region and spaced from the first Wi-Fi region by at least a portion of the second Wi-Fi region, and ii) through a fourth filter configured to filter the first Wi-Fi region, and 
 receiving a control signal to control the concurrent routing of the signals from the antenna through either the first and second filters to concurrently pass signal content in the first cellular band and the second Wi-Fi region while blocking signal content in the second cellular band and the first Wi-Fi region or the third and fourth filters to concurrently pass signal content in the second cellular band and the first Wi-Fi region while blocking signal content in the first cellular band and the second Wi-Fi region. 
 
     
     
       9. The method of  claim 8  wherein the signals are one or more of time division duplex signals and frequency division duplex signals. 
     
     
       10. The method of  claim 8  the first region and the second region partially overlap. 
     
     
       11. The method of  claim 8  wherein the first filter, the second filter, the third filter, and the fourth filter include at least one surface acoustic wave filter or at least one bulk acoustic wave filter. 
     
     
       12. A wireless device comprising:
 a common cellular/wireless local area network antenna configured to receive and transmit radio frequency signals; 
 a switching circuit including a first filter configured to filter a first frequency band that is a first cellular band adjacent to a second frequency band, the second frequency band having a first Wi-Fi region adjacent to the first frequency band and a second Wi-Fi region spaced from the first frequency band by at least a portion of the first Wi-Fi region, and a second filter configured to filter the second Wi-Fi region, a third filter configured to filter third radio frequency signals in a third frequency band that is a second cellular band adjacent to the second Wi-Fi region and spaced from the first Wi-Fi region by at least a portion of the second Wi-Fi region, and a fourth filter configured to filter fourth radio frequency signals in the first Wi-Fi region, and 
 a plurality of switches configured to concurrently route the radio frequency signals from the antenna in either of 1) a first mode through the first and second filters to concurrently pass signal content in the first cellular band and the second Wi-Fi region while blocking signal content in the second cellular band and the first Wi-Fi region or 2) a second module through the third and fourth filters to concurrently pass signal content in the second cellular band and the first Wi-Fi region while blocking signal content in the first cellular band and the second Wi-Fi region. 
 
     
     
       13. The wireless device of  claim 12  the first region and the second region partially overlap. 
     
     
       14. The wireless device of  claim 12  wherein the first filter, the second filter, the third filter, and the fourth filter include at least one surface acoustic wave filter or at least one bulk acoustic wave filter. 
     
     
       15. The wireless device of  claim 13  wherein a frequency range of the partial overlap is approximately 20 MHz. 
     
     
       16. The switching circuit of  claim 13  wherein a frequency range of the partial overlap is approximately 40 MHz. 
     
     
       17. The wireless device of  claim 12  further comprising a control circuit configured to control the plurality of switches to concurrently route the received radio frequency signals from the antenna through either the first and second filters or to concurrently route the received radio frequency signals from the antenna through the third and fourth filters.